Nanomedicine, according to the National Institutes of Health, refers to highly specific medical intervention at the molecular scale for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases. [Park, K. J. Controlled Release 2007, 120, 1-3]. One example nanomedicine is the use of nanodevices designed to image, target, and treat cancer.
Nanodevices could accomplish these disparate tasks through the use of agents or moieties associated with nanoparticles. The nanoparticles themselves may possess inherent capabilities (such as gadolinium nanoparticles used in to enhance magnetic resonance imaging or gold nanoparticles used to concentrate the energy of infrared lasers fo the thermoablation of cancer cells). Alternatively agents may be attached to the nanoparticle to provide specific capabilities such as antibodies directed against a specific tumor marker, or a chemotherapeutic compound attached to the nanoparticle.
Intravascularly injectable nanodevices (referred to as “theragnostic devices”) are being developed for the treatment of cancer. However, there are problems with present manufacturing techniques for theragnostic devices. These manufacturing problems lead to poor loading efficiencies, low loading capacity, and the inability to control nanodevice production parameters such as size distribution, surface interactions, and in vivo performance. [Park, K. J. Controlled Release 2007, 120, 1-3]. Current design limitations also impact flexibility in choosing the type and quantity of incorporated moiety (drug and/or targeting agent). Another problem with the development of nanodevices is the lack of control over spatial orientation and architecture of the nanoparticle. Finally, nanodevices suffer from instability of the drug and/or targeting agent associated with the nanoparticle.
Multimodal imaging agents have the potential to overcome many of the limitations of current clinical imaging agents by providing a route to achieve diagnostic imaging, targetting, and therapy with administration of a single nanodevice. Combining these different capablities will reduce patient anxiety and discomfort.
Against this backdrop, the present disclosure has been developed